Spenser has gone to London -- and not to see the Queen. He's gone to track down a bunch of bombers who've blown away his client's wife and kids. His job is to catch them. Or kill them. His client isn't choosy. But there are nine killers to one Spenser -- long odds. Hawk helps balance the equation. The rest depends on a wild plan. Spenser will get one of the terrorists to play Judas Goat -- to lead him to others.

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Spenser has gone to London -- and not to see the Queen. He's gone to track down a bunch of bombers who've blown away his client's wife and kids. His job is to catch them. Or kill them. His client isn't choosy.

But there are nine killers to one Spenser -- long odds. Hawk helps balance the equation. The rest depends on a wild plan. Spenser will get one of the terrorists to play Judas Goat -- to lead him to others. Trouble is, he hasn't counted on her being very blond, very beautiful and very dangerous.

I have read or listened to all of the Spenser books and this book, although very dated in its language, has always been one of my favorites of the early mysteries. But the books are intended to be light and breezy - an easy read without too much seriousness. Joe Montagne, who narrates the later books, has the exactly right approach to the characters where the light-hearted banter between Spenser, Hawk, Vinnie and others sets the tone.

But Michael Prichard seems to think that Spenser is Sam Spade and narrates the book accordingly. There is almost no humor and he has completely lost the tone of the book. That is too bad since I would like to have bought more of the early Spenser books. Now I am stuck with The Judas Goat and, my personal favorite, A Catskill Eagle, and neither touches the upbeat and sprightly tone of the books themselves. I would willingly buy them again if Joe Montagne were to narrate them.

Spenser is hired to find and capture or kill some terrorist bombers. I couldn’t imagine how he would do it. I enjoyed watching him do it. The previous book introduced Hawk. In this book Spenser hires Hawk to help. There were some good scenes with them together. As always, I like this author because of his wit.

ONCE AGAIN, I HAVE REVISITED ONE OF ROBERT PARKER'S EARLIER SPENSER NOVELS, AND THIS ONE IS A GEM. THE JUDAS GOAT BRINGS ALL THE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD SPENSER NOVEL TOGETHER IN A PERFECT RECIPE OF ACTION, SUSPENSE, HUMOR, AND HUMAN INSIGHT THAT HAVE MADE SPENSER SUCH A POPULAR CHARACTER FOR SO MANY YEARS. THE PLOT HERE INVOLVES SPENSER TRACKING DOWN TERRORISTS, AND TAKES HIM FROM THE UNITED STATES TO ENGLAND, AND ACROSS EUROPE. HIS LETHAL COMPANION HAWK JOINS UP WITH HIM HALF-WAY THROUGH THE STORY, AND THINGS REALLY TAKE OFF FROM THERE. THE PARTNERING OF SPENSER AND HAWK IS PERFECTLY WRITTEN, A RICH PATOIS OF HUMOROUS BANTERING AND THOUGHTFUL INSIGHT IS REVEALED THROUGH THESE TWO CHARACTERS THAT ARE AT ONCE ALIKE AND YET EXPONENTAILLY DIFFERENT. THEY ARE TWO SIDES TO A VERY DANGEROUS COIN. ROBERT PARKER'S WRITING SHINES IN THE EXPLORATION OF HIS MAIN CHARACTERS; AND HE MANAGES TO DO IT WITHOUT BEING HEAVY, OR WEIGHING THE STORY DOWN IN EXPOSITION. LIKE A GOOD STEW, YOU MAY NOT REALIZE ALL THE INGREDIENTS THAT HAVE GONE INTO MAKING IT, BUT IT TASTES GREAT JUST THE SAME. AND ONCE AGAIN, MICHAEL PRICHARD DOES A STELLAR JOB BRINGING PARKER'S WORDS TO LIFE. HIS PERFORMANCE OF THESE SPENSER NOVELS ARE BY FAR MY FAVORITE.

I enjoy these novels. I even, for whatever reason, enjoy Pritchard's narration usually, but good gods are those accents terrible. Probably the worst I've ever heard. I mean he didn't even try, and these narrations are pretty phoned in anyhow. Still, the story is sound and I enjoyed myself.

The narrator makes or breaks the listen. This is a good story, interesting plot...but the narrator is flat. Not terrible enough to be a distraction, but I wish that Montegna could read them all. I'd buy every one.

I am a business owner, but don't much like books on business. Like English mysteries, cozies that aren't very cozy. I really want to like fantasy and science fiction but everything I try like that seems disappointing. I like some spy novels.
I am a grandmother and I am in a book club.

I love Spenser stories. When I started listening to them on audio, I was disappointed in Manenega (I know I'm spelling his name wrong) he is an actor and he can't even do a decent British accent. Then there were the Burt Reynolds readings that sounded as if he used valium as a chaser for his daily martini. And now this guy who is, I swear, the worst of the worst. Do not bother.

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